A Scarred Heart
by JaybiePepper
Summary: Aelise Hughes (OC) is Maes younger sister. She is a State Alchemist, best friends with Hawkeye and will always have a burning flame for Colonel Mustang, but her mission to get close to Scar changes things...
1. Chapter 1

"Scar is known to be armed and dangerous and has escaped capture on many accounts. We need all military to be on their guard especially State Alchemist, which seems to be his primary target. Many State Alchemist and soldier caught in the cross fire have lose their lives. This man must be stopped." Colonel Mustang finished dismissing the soldiers to report to their stations. "Lieutenant Aelise Hughes I have a special assignment I must speak with you about." The Colonel added just as Aelise was about to exit the room. She stepped to the side standing at attention, waiting for everyone to leave.

"Sir?" Aelise addressed Mustang walking to the front of his desk.

"Aelise it seems Fuhrer King Bradley has taken a special interest in your alchemy and has a special assignment for you." Colonel Mustang paused, looking up at Aelise with a guarded look. "He feels that the capture of Scar will be futile and wants you to infiltrate his barriers to the point where he trusts you to be his companion. At which point anytime he tries to kill anyone in the military you can use your special alchemy to avoid the death toll from rising." Mustang concluded walking around his desk so he was standing right beside Aelise.

Aelise stood their gawking at the Colonel. "You have to be kidding that's a suicide mission? I'm one of his targets just like you Colonel, a State Alchemist he probably can smell them a mile away! The only difference between me and you is I don't stand a chance at defending myself against him!" Aelise shrieked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had no special alchemy powers she was just a healer.

"Well at this very moment you are being stripped of your State Alchemist certification and no longer are enlisted in the military." Mustang said, ripping Aelise's State pocket watch right out of her pocket by the chain. Mustang looked up smirking, clutching her pocket watch tightly.

"What? You can't do that!" Lieutenant Hughes yelled grabbing at her pocket watch, which Mustang was holding just out of her reach. Mustang was more than a higher ranking officer he was a friend, a close friend which she trusted with her life. Why would he allow her to be put in such a dangerous situation?

"You are now considered undercover and all your passed records involving alchemy and the military have been wiped clean. Your mission starts tonight. We have created a trap Scar will fall right into and this will be your first encounter with him. From that point you need to work out a plan to earning his trust." Colonel Mustang finished, putting her watch in his own pocket.

"Roy, why are you letting this happen?" Aelise was frightened and had no idea what to expect from the man named Scar. All she knew Scar was a murder, she didn't know his motivation and reasoning's, maybe he'd kill her, just by trying to get in his way.

"Aelise it's over my head I'm sorry. This is the last thing I want to see happen to you, but I've tried everything." Mustang sighed, walking closer to Aelise, brushed the side of her face with his fingertips. "Lise you don't have to go through with this you can run away from it all and be safe." Mustang whispered, looking deep into her eyes.

"No. If this is what I must, what I am needed to do, and then I guess I'll go through with it." Aelise said, stepping away from Mustang, looking down.

"You are to be in approximation of building 12 by 22:00 hours, and remain there until you are approached by military personnel," Mustang continued in a low murmur, "I wish I had more information to give you but that is all I could get." Mustang said regretfully, looking down as well.

"I guess this is goodbye Colonel Mustang. I hope to see you again," She said holding her hand out for a parting handshake.

Colonel Mustang grabbed Aelise's hand and hauled her up against his chest, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Aelise stiffened at first and then relaxed into Roy's arms. "I'm going to miss you Roy, please don't ever stop fighting to get to the top." Aelise said, slowly stepping out of his arms, to walk out the door.

"Please be safe Aelise, I'll be praying for you." Mustang whispered as Aelise shut the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Aelise's left Mustang's office in a daze; all she knew was that she needed to see her brother. Maes would be at home with his wife and daughter. She didn't know what she was going to tell him, but she knew she wouldn't have to say much. Maes was her twin and she shared a bond with him were words rarely needed to be spoken in times of difficulty.

Aelise found herself standing outside of Maes front door, hesitant to knock. Just as she worked up the courage and was about to knock the door opened on its own.

"Lise what are you standing out here for? Mustang told you would be on your way over, please come in sis and tell me what is going on." Maes said, ushering her in.

'Damn Mustang, how does he know me so well?' Aelise thought to herself, following her brother into the sitting room.

"Gracia is putting Elicia to bed so we have time to talk." Maes said, taking a seat and looking up at Aelise waiting for her to take the seat beside him.

"Maes there's not much I can tell you other than I'll be going away for a while and I'm not sure if I'll be coming back." Aelise breath caught in her throat as the thought of possibly never seeing her twin again hit her.

"What are you saying?"

"I've been signed up for a dangerous mission and I don't feel my odds at survival are very good." Aelise said, looking down, trying to blink back the tears forming in her eyes. She loved her brother with all her heart and was going to miss him dearly. Since their mother walked out on them and their father drank himself to death they've only had each other.

"Well you better make it your goal to come back! I'm not exactly sure what you got yourself signed up for, but you better not let anyone take you away from this family. Aelise you better promise me you'll be safe Gracia, Elicia and you are the only family I have and I can't lose any of you." Maes said wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"I don't plan on getting myself killed; I just want to let you know it's a possibility." Aelise said, clearing her throat trying to stop the coming water works. She stood up wiping the few tears that escaped. "Come on lets go help Gracia put Elicia to sleep." Aelise said holding out her hand to her brother.

Saying her final goodbyes she left her brother's house with less than an hour to spare before she was to be located around building 12. Descending the stairs she was unaware that she was being watched. She was grief stricken, this would be the first time she would ever be separated from her twin for a prolong period of time and also the first time where she was ever worried about possibly dying.

"Something on your mind?" A voice asked at the end of her brother's walk way.

Aelise knew that voice, she wasn't expecting to see him again. She didn't want to look up, because all the tears she managed to keep hidden from her brother and his wife were starting to wash over her.

"No, I'm fine Colonel I just need to tell Lieutenant Hawkeye that she'll be having a room to herself for a while." Aelise said firmly, doing her best to keep her voice from breaking. She wanted to walk past him, avoid him completely, but her feet wouldn't stop going the direction she heard his voice come from.

"Lise." Mustang said quietly, reaching out to lift her face forcing her to look into his dark eyes.

Aelise sighed and threw her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. His scent was familiar, comforting his embrace strong and protective. She'd missed this.

"Roy I'm frightened." Aelise whispered, nuzzling his chest. Roy used to be her one and only, until the cruelty of the military forced their separation. It felt nice to be in his arms once more.

"You'll be fine Aelise, just keep your alchemy a secret and make sure he never sees your tattoo." Roy said, stroking her hair back. Aelise's tattoo wasn't in plain sight, she always kept it hidden. It was a transmutation circle to help her perform her alchemy quickly and effectively without wasting time drawing a circle. It was located above her right breast hidden unless she needed it. "We should get you out of your military uniform before you are to be at building 12. Come I'll walk with you to your apartment." Roy said placing his hand on the small of her back turning to head for hers and Hawkeye's apartment.

"It seems the military is around every corner keeping us apart." Aelise said, looking down to the sidewalk as they walked.

"Well instead of going on this mission you could be my stowaway and greet me naked every time I come home." Mustang said smirking, while pulling her closer into the hollow of his side.

Aelise lightly tapped him on the shoulder, before she laid his head in the crook of his shoulder.

"Well there's always that to look forward to if I must abort the mission, I could be your naked hide-away there for your viewing pleasure." Aelise said, rolling her eyes, then continued watching the path before them.

Mustang chuckled and mumbled something presumably naughty.


	3. Chapter 3

She walked down the sidewalk heading for the alley where she was to be located 10 minutes ago. Aelise had gotten distracted talking to Hawkeye, but it was really the fact that she was frightened as to what was going to happen tonight. She had only the clothes on her back and some of the money she was saving up hidden in her boot. The night air was frigid and tightening her jacket did nothing to ward off the chill.

As she walked she continued to glance behind, she had a sinking suspicion she was being followed. She continued walking unsure what she was waiting for. When she was about to turn around for her second lap around the alley she felt a hand clamp down over her mouth. Her fight or flight instinct took over and she instantly stepped down on the persons boot. She rounded on them finding a man in uniform. Aelise hesitated unsure what she should do next, but in that moment of unclarity she was grabbed again this time by two pair of arms. She knew this situation wasn't going to end well, but she had to try to fight her way out of it. Aelise cracked the back of her skull against one of her captures face. He shrieked out in pain, letting her go to hold his bloody nose.

"Whoa a little fighter!" The other man said who had her arm twisted behind her back and slammed her face into the nearest wall. She seethed in anger, wishing she would have brought the gun Hawkeye offered her before leaving. Her arm felt near the point of breaking as one of the other men came up close behind her. She heard their labored breathing in her year and felt disgusting hands start touch her. She growled and used her free hand to find his face. Without hesitation she shoved her fingers into his eyes. It was the most disgusting sensation she had ever felt, but it was better than having someone touch her.

"You bitch!" The blinded man shouted, grabbing her head and slamming it hard against the wall. The man holding her arm applied a little more pressure. She screamed out in agony feeling something pop in her shoulder. Her head pounded and her arm pulse with extreme agony, but she grit her teeth, trying to break free. She was trying to twist out of her arm lock when a flash of pure white light washed over the alley. The pressure on her arm stopped immediately, but her first emotion wasn't relief, but a greater fear. She had seen that light once before, she knew it was the Ishvalan.

"Let's get out of here" the one man yelled to the other, leaving the third's body slumped in the alley.

She was hesitant to turn around to face him, but in her moment of uncertainty she felt a hand on my shoulder. Slowly she turned around and was met with Scar's eyes shielded by sunglasses.

She stared at him unsure of what to do or say.

"Th…thank you." She stuttered, and looked down. She touched her forehead with her good arm she looked at her hand and saw it was covered in bloody.

"You need medical attention. Is there somewhere nearby I can take you?" Scar asked.

"No, there is nowhere I can go." She said looking to her shoulder. She was relieved to see it was just dislocated instead of broken, but it still pulsed with pain and knew resetting it would hurt more.

"Are you from Central?" He asked, looking down at her impatiently.

"Yes, but I can't stay here…I…I'm" She had been running through potential stories all night, but nothing seemed convincing. "I'm running from the military." She said vaguely.

"Why?" Scar regarded her skeptically.

"Because I saw something I shouldn't have." She said, looking down, leaning against the wall. She felt faint and knew she needed to top her head wound from bleeding. She heard Scar talking, but couldn't make out what he was saying as she closed her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

She woke up sweating and feeling her head throbbing, she put her hand to her head expecting to feel the gash but instead felt cloth wrapped around her head. She was covered in blankets, wrapped like a mummy. She pushed the covers off and looked around at her surroundings. She couldn't remember anything from last night, other that Scar rescued her. She was in a yurt, with a small stove in the center. She saw Scar leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. She quietly walked closer to him, the harsh plains of his face relaxed. His sunglasses her off and she saw the full extent of his scar. He looked kind, and she dare not admit it out loud but handsome not at all like a blood thirsty killer. Her heartbeat began to beat erratically. Last night her emotions were in a frenzy, she was not expecting to be attacked. When he came to her rescue she was relieved, but now she didn't know what she felt. Frightened? Curious? She daringly took another step closer, drawn in by the mystery of this man. Why did he help her last night? His M.O wasn't to go looking for trouble, but to cause it. She wasn't paying attention to the changes in his breathing pattern so when he reached out and grabbed her wrist, dragging her down to her knees in front of him she gasped in fear. He glared at her his face even with hers, less than a foot away. She held her breath in anticipation. Did he figure her out? Was he going to kill her? She couldn't look away from the molten red of his eyes.

"What are you doing?" He asked, loosening his grip on her wrist, but didn't let go.

"I..I..I was," what could she say? She didn't have a viable excuse she was just staring at him, thinking things that would get her lynched. Handsome? Was she crazy. His eyes searched hers and he saw the shame pass over them.

"My scar" he said, releasing her wrist and stood up quickly.

She sat back on her on her feet. She didn't want him to think that, but there was no other excuse she could come up with so she stayed quiet.

After a few moments had passed she stood up and turned around to find she was alone in the yurt. She panicked. "Scar?" She called out running towards the exit. Once she was outside she saw there were many tents and yurts surrounding this one. People stopped to stare at her. She realized they were all Ishvalan and she was the outcast in the midst.

"That's the girl Scar brought here." She heard one whisper to another.

"Where is he?" She asked urgently. She couldn't lose him now she had just found him. She couldn't fail my mission this early on.

They looked at her skeptically until she saw a little boy pointing towards a tunnel. She smiled at him and started to run down the street towards the tunnel. Aelise reached the tunnel and started to feel nauseous at the blood pumped through her head. In the distance she saw his yellow jacket and called out to him.

He turned to look at her and she took that time to walk closer to him.

"Where are you going?" Aelise asked, putting her hand against the wall for stability.

"I need to keep moving." He said flatly, looking away from her.

"What about me? You can't just leave me here." she said, standing up straight on her own.

"That's not my problem." He said, turning around to leave.

Aelise was shocked she had no idea what to say. So she didn't say anything and decided to follow him.

After a few minutes he turned on her. "What are you doing?" he seethed.

She looked up at him placidly. "I have nowhere to go. I'm a fugitive, presumably just like you… So two heads are better than one are they not?" She said smiling hopeful.

He furrowed his brow and turned around with a growl. He didn't say a word and continued walking.

He didn't know what to think of this woman. He saved her life but he didn't know why he brought her back to the slums. She wasn't Ishvalan, but he wanted to make sure she was okay. Seeing her fight back even though she was outnumbered sparked a sense of pride in him. She was strong and determined and was intrigued.


End file.
